


Parenting is Hard AF

by Mystery__Spot



Series: Eddie Diaz Week 2021 [1]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: But they didn't add this to the parenting manual, Eddie Diaz Week 2021, Eddie Diaz is a Good Dad, M/M, Mentions Masturbation but not actual masturbation, Pre-Relationship Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-19 06:55:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29870859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mystery__Spot/pseuds/Mystery__Spot
Summary: They brushed their teeth in silence, and Eddie truly cherished quiet father and son moments such as this.Eddie Diaz Week Day 1: "I don't know what I am doing." + Fatherhood
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Series: Eddie Diaz Week 2021 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2196126
Comments: 11
Kudos: 126





	Parenting is Hard AF

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, there! I am so new to this fandom imagine my surprise when I discover that there is such a thing as Eddie Diaz week. I know I am behind, but better late than never. I hope you enjoy this little story that was inspired by an actual true event.

Eddie watched his reflection in the bathroom mirror as he brushed his teeth. It had been a long day for the 118 crew, and Eddie was beyond tired and couldn’t wait to climb between his cool sheets once he got Christopher settled for the night. He heard Christopher in his room as he was also getting ready for bed, and the familiar sounds of their nightly routine seemed to soothe his nerves. and couldn’t wait to climb between his cool sheets once he got Christopher settled for the night. He heard Christopher in his room as he was also getting ready for bed, and the familiar sounds of their nightly routine seemed to soothe his nerves.

Eddie watched from his periphery as Christopher entered the bathroom behind him. Christopher grabbed his own toothbrush and began to apply toothpaste. Eddie watched it all through the mirror as he smiled at his son through the foamy paste in his own mouth.

They brushed their teeth in silence, and Eddie truly cherished quiet father and son moments such as this.

Eddie watched as Christopher spit into the sink before he looked Eddie straight in the eye through the mirror and asked, “Dad, what does masturbate mean?”

Eddie sprayed toothpaste all over the mirror as he sputtered in shock. Eddie continued to sputter and cough as he thought that ‘dad’ and ‘masturbate’ were two words that should never be in the same sentence. He managed to stop his cough and rinse as Christopher went back to brushing his teeth as though he hadn’t just hit Eddie with a question about masturbation.

He wasn’t prepared for this.

Christopher was nine so he couldn’t be doing...that, yet. Right? Eddie tried to think back to when that all started with him, and he seriously didn’t think he was nine. Hell, that was many years and countless jerk offs ago.

Oh, shit. He was going to have to have The Talk with Christopher sometime in the next couple of years. That thought had Eddie reeling in an almost panic. To hold the panic at bay, Eddie decided to focus on one thing at a time.

First, he needed to find out where this question came from as he grabbed the sanitizer wipes from under the sink so that he could wipe down the mirror, countertop, and sink. He looked over at Christopher and tried to maintain a normal face even though he was screaming internally.

So much for sleep. He would be up all-night thinking about his sweet angelic little boy asking him about masturbation.

Christopher spit his own toothpaste out and rinsed his mouth as Eddie finished up wiping down his side of the bathroom.

“So...um...Christopher....” Eddie’s heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest. Just breathe. Remain calm. You can do this. Eddie cleared his throat and tried again as casually as he could for someone discussing masturbation. There weren’t going to be any germs left in the bathroom at all the way Eddie was scrubbing the surfaces with his wipe.

“So, um...where exactly did you hear that word?”

“Well, John Princeton...he’s a big kid, like he’s a 6th grader. Anyway, we were on the playground at the same time today, and he said his brother masturbates all the time. He did this with his hand.” Eddie’s heart stopped as he watched his son do the jerk-off hand motion.

“Oh no no no!” Eddie’s hands were waving erratically. “Please, stop. Do not do that ever...just...” Eddie looked heavenward and counted to ten. He could handle this. He just needed to figure out how.

Counting to ten didn’t work.

He glanced at Christopher who looked confused and upset, and Eddie felt like a horrible father. He realized that he didn’t know what he was doing here. So much about being a parent in general was hard, and Eddie tried to be as patient as possible with Christopher, but he missed the days when he wasn’t asked the hard questions.

His reaction probably didn’t help matters but Eddie would lie awake at night to the vision of his baby boy making a crude gesture with toothpaste all over his mouth.

“I’m sorry...I’m not mad at you.” Eddie said as he helped Christopher finish up brushing his teeth and getting him cleaned up for bed.

“You sounded upset.” Christopher said as he looked up at Eddie. Obviously, still confused.

Eddie hugged Christopher and helped him get settled in the bed. “Yeah, Chris, I am upset but not at you.” Buck was always telling him not to overreact. “Why don’t we talk about it tomorrow?” Eddie hoped that would be enough, and was relieved when Christopher sleepily nodded his head.

“Okay, Daddy. I love you.”

“I love you, too, little man.” Eddie watched over him as he fell asleep, then carefully extracted himself from the bed. Turning off the light, he left the room. Walking to his own room, he paced for several minutes as he went over the conversation with Christopher in his head.

He was seriously going to fuck this up. He refused to call his parents. He still felt like he had to prove himself to them. He could handle this.

There was one other person though that he knew he could count on, so he picked up his phone and opened the message thread with Buck.

**Eddie:** _I have no idea what I am doing. Parenting is hard af._

Eddie put his phone down as he climbed in the bed. He was getting settled when his phone vibrated.

**From Buck:** _I don’t know what happened, but you’re a great dad._

Eddie smiled as he typed out his response.

**Eddie:** _Thanks. I’ll tell you the details later, but Chris asked about what masturbate meant._

Eddie smirked as he sent the message and kind of wished he had waited until the next day to tell Buck so he could see his face. Right after the message said read, Eddie’s phone rang.

Eddie answered the phone with an amused, “Hello.”

“What the hell? Where did he hear that from?” Buck sounded as distraught as Eddie felt earlier.

Eddie laughed as he explained the conversation and how he felt he fucked up; however, he felt better about everything.

Just talking to Buck did that, and that was something he would examine another day.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Leave me some love in the form Kudos if you feel so inclined. :)


End file.
